The drain covers that were found in the man’s car.
KOTA KINABALU: A 22-year-old man from Telipok was arrested by the police after he admitted to stealing iron drain covers from Inanam.
Kota Kinabalu police chief ACP Habibi Majinji said the police are now looking for the man’s accomplice who escaped during a brief scuffle with law enforcers before the arrest.
Recovered from the man’s vehicle were 30 iron drain covers, nine electric insulators, a metal cutter and a metal saw, Habibi said.
The man was arrested about 4 am on July 18, he said, adding that police while on patrol had stopped and checked the vehicle behind a supermarket in Inanam.
“During inspection, police personnel found the drain covers and detained the driver. A brief scuffle occurred and the man’s accomplice escaped,” Habibi said.
“The fugitive is a local man in his 20s, also from Telipok. Anyone with information on the suspect can contact investigating officer, Sergeant Afizan Kasijan, at 019 8601230 or the nearest police station,” Habibi said.
Meanwhile, more than 60 manhole covers in Taman Kingfisher 2 housing were stolen around mid-night on July 17, causing many local residents to fall into the manholes and getting injured.
A man showing his leg injury after falling into a manhole.
Gee Tian Siong, vice president of Sabah Progressive Party,, urged the Kota Kinabalu City Hall to take immediate action to solve the problem to ensure the safety of the residents.
“The manholes were designed either in the middle of the main entrance or between two residential units. Without the metal cover, it poses a threat to the residents,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Gee received several complaints from the residents of Taman Kingfisher, and he personally went to the site to understand the situation yesterday afternoon.
He said not only the local residents were affected, but also the nursery located in the residential area.
The management temporarily placed a tire as marking to prevent any accident from happening.
“A square-shape manhole appeared in front of the nursery’s main entrance, when the metal cover was stolen. I was worried that a child would accidentally fall down and suffer serious injuries.”
A tyre placed on a manhole in front of the nursery at Taman Kingfisher to prevent accident.
Gee said Vincent Ngu, a resident, told him that some 60 manhole covers were stolen between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Many residents had already lodged police reports accordingly.
“When I visited Taman Kingfisher at noon time, I saw Ngu was trying to fix the gutter with a whole set of welding tools in front of his residence. He showed me his injured thigh and explained he got that after falling into the manhole yesterday.”
Gee disclosed he also received several photos sent to him digitally, one of which was from a resident who complained that his daughter had accidentally stepped into the manhole and sustained severe injuries.
He said that according to the residents’ response, the frequency of police patrols in Taman Kingfisher had been reduced lately, and the thieves had taken advantage of it.